The Empress: Modern RWS Tarot Card Meanings
‘KEY III: The Empress’, Rider Waite Smith tarot deck.
The Empress: Upright RWS Meanings
Feminine, Love, Nature, Harvest, Seasons, Birth
Generally
A successful harvest in your garden, the birth of a new creative project, a period of comfort and security, feeling cared for by a maternal figure. The Empress is the mature feminine archetype of the Major Arcana.
In a Love Context
Taking care of a partner, the decision to move in together, a pregnancy, expressing love through physical affection and acts of service.
In a Money/Career Context
A successful business launch, receiving a generous salary or bonus, a flourishing creative career, a supportive and nurturing work environment.
In a Spiritual Context
A profound experience during a walk in the woods, the practice of selfless service, honouring the creative principle of the universe, the nurturing aspect of the Divine Soul.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
Spend time in nature. Dress to impress. Relax. Express gratitude.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A successful creative project, a loving relationship, a period of prosperity.
As Obstacles
A smothering influence. A sprawling, unfocused project. Stagnation from too much comfort.
As Hidden Energy
An untapped potential for growth, creative inspiration or abundance.
As Resources/Alliances
A mother figure, a supportive female boss, a strong and independent woman. A creative collaborator. Abundant financial support.
The Empress Reversed Meanings
Reversed Keywords
Smothering, Complacency, Neglect, Dependence, Stagnation, Emotional immaturity or abuse, femme fatale.
Generally
Stalled creativity, feminine immaturity, femme fatale, lack of self-respect and/or boundaries, misandry.
In a Love Context
Neediness, disrespect or contempt, self-neglect, abusive partnership.
In a Money/Work Context
Failed business, procrastination, budget restraints, toxic workplace culture. Like the Knight of Pentacles reversed.
In an Intellectual Context
Pessimism, uninspired, procrastination.
In a Spiritual Context
Asceticism, overgiving, ineffective spiritual practice; spiritual consumerism and commercialization. Like the 6 of Pentacles reversed.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
A warning against neglect or control. Address a creative block. Give the situation space to grow.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
Despair. Literal or metaphorical infertility or bad soil (e.g. failure due to poor timing or comedy made for a different crowd).
As Obstacles
Dependency, unconducive environment, damaged relationships, etc.
As Hidden Energy
The coming winter, impending downfall. Ignorance.
As Resources/Alliances
Patience, timing, resilience, resourcefulness. Like the Queen of Pentacles.
‘The Empress’ In Card Combinations (Upright And Reversed)
Combinations with Major Arcana
The Empress & The Hierophant
The Empress (↑) & The Hierophant (↑): A traditional marriage. A creative project that follows established rules. A nurturing and conventional teacher.
The Empress (↓) & The Hierophant (↑): A creative block within a traditional institution. A smothering mother who insists on conformity. A rejection of conventional family values.
The Empress (↑) & The Hierophant (↓): A nurturing and unconventional spiritual path. A creative project that breaks all the rules. A mother who encourages her children to question authority.
The Empress (↓) & The Hierophant (↓): A creative block caused by a rejection of all structure. A family that is both neglectful and dogmatic. A failed project due to a refusal to follow any rules.
The Empress & The Devil
The Empress (↑) & The Devil (↑): An obsessive, all-consuming creative project. A passionate but potentially co-dependent relationship. An addiction to luxury and material comfort.
The Empress (↓) & The Devil (↑): A creative block caused by addiction. A relationship that is both smothering and toxic. Neglecting your health due to materialism.
The Empress (↑) & The Devil (↓): Breaking free from a co-dependent relationship through self-care. A creative project that helps you overcome an addiction.
The Empress (↓) & The Devil (↓): A creative block caused by a fear of your own shadow side. A relationship that is both neglectful and free from addiction.
Combinations with the Suit of Pentacles
The Empress & The Four of Pentacles
The Empress (↑) & The Four of Pentacles (↑): A successful business that is being run too conservatively. A nurturing mother who is overly controlling with money. A creative project that is being held back by a fear of spending.
The Empress (↓) & The Four of Pentacles (↑): A creative block caused by a scarcity mindset. A smothering relationship that is also financially controlling.
The Empress (↑) & The Four of Pentacles (↓): A generous act that leads to financial abundance. A creative project that is funded through an act of charity.
The Empress (↓) & The Four of Pentacles (↓): A creative block caused by a fear of both success and failure. A relationship that is both neglectful and financially unstable.
Additional Notes on ‘The Empress’
A.E Waite’s original divinatory meanings of The Empress
"Fruitfulness, action, initiative, length of days; the unknown, clandestine; also difficulty, doubt, ignorance. Reversed: Light, truth, the unravelling of involved matters, public rejoicings; according to another reading, vacillation." (Pictoral Key To The Tarot, 1911).
The Empress Rider Waite Smith (RWS) card symbolism.
A.E Waite’s Empress card shows a serene, maternal figure seated comfortably on a throne in a lush, natural setting. She wears a crown of twelve stars, representing the signs of the zodiac and her dominion over the cycles of the year. In her hand, she holds a sceptre, signifying her power, and she rests on a heart-shaped shield bearing the symbol of Venus. The field of ripe wheat at her feet and the verdant forest behind her are symbols of fertility, growth, and abundance. The entire scene depicts the generative power of nature and the principle of creative nurturing.
The Esoteric Meaning of the RWS Empress.
The heart-shaped shield bearing the symbol of Venus is a key to the card's esoteric meaning. Venus is not just the planet of love, beauty, art, and harmony. In Western Occultism it is Lucifer, the morning star/lightbringer. In exoteric Judeo-Christian traditions, Lucifer is equated with pride and evil. But in Western Occultism, he is reinterpreted as a saviour figure, come to help humanity overcome ignorance of it’s Divine nature.
Question: Is The Empress always about pregnancy?
No. Putting aside the ethics of predicting pregnancy, I will say this. While she can represent a literal pregnancy or motherhood, she more broadly represents the principle of fertility in all its forms: the birth of a new idea, the growth of a business, or the nurturing of a loving relationship.
Continue Learning RWS Meanings: Three Master Resources
Resource I: Master The 22 Major arcana [recommended for beginners]
Learn the meanings of the other Major Arcana cards in the Rider Waite Smith tarot system. New to tarot? I recommend practicing with just these 22 cards for now.
Resource II: Meanings Mastery
No shortcuts; you can master the 780+ meanings of 78 RWS tarot cards in 12-30 months. Just use the same method I did when I was in your position. It’s based on principles of modern memory science and it begins by avoiding the most common mistake that I see a lot of beginners making in their practice. Learn what this mistake is and exactly how to avoid it, by clicking the button below.
Comprehensive guide to the 22 Major Arcana cards of the Rider Waite Smith tarot system. Learn what the Major Arcana cards are and how divinatory readers have evolved their RWS Major Arcana practice in the last 100 years.